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Senate Probes Brass LNG Over $784m Fraud …As Reps Indict FG On Poor TSA Implementation
The Senate has mandated its committees on public accounts and gas to investigate the alleged $784,265,947.54 fraud and other activities of Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (BLNG), including an illegal account in the name of the Federal Government.
Drawing the attention of senators to the issue, last Wednesday, Dino Melaye (Kogi-APC) accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of operating a fraudulent account in the name of the government.
Presenting a motion titled “Monumental Corruption at the NNPC”, Melaye noted that the Brass LNG was incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission on December 9, 2003, and limited by shares of $1million.
He said: “The Senate observes that the shareholders of this company are: the Federal Government (NNPC) represented by Mr Funsho Kupolokun with $490, 000 shares, Philip Brass Limited whose address is in Cayman Island, British West Indies represented by Mr R.L. Smith with a share capital of $170, 000, Eni International B.V. with address in Amsterdam, Netherlands represented by Mr A. Forzoli with share of S170, 000, while the fourth shareholder – Chevron Texaco Brass LNG Limited with address in Bermuda is represented by Mr J.R. Pryor with a share of $170, 000.”
Melaye said the board of directors of the company was composed of foreigners and five Nigerians, all NNPC staff or ex-staff members.
He listed them to include former Group Managing Directors of NNPC, Gauis Obaseki-Jackson and Yakubu Andrew; Ibogomo Gbeyansa, Dawa Joseph Thlama, Ige David, and Buba Mohamman, all staff of NNPC.
Melaye added: “The Senate observes that from the Memorandum of Understanding, Brass LNG is supposed to be a Joint Venture Company with NNPC having the controlling shares and their account domiciled with the CBN.
“The Senate is surprised that the account of this company is with Keystone Bank opened on August 1, 2012, with account number 1005825168; a USA domiciliary account with a closing balance of $137, 086, 462:54 currently, while $648, 179, 487 was recorded as the account’s last inflow on September 19, 2016, and a withdrawal of $4million was effected on the 18th November, 2016, without BVN.”
He stated that there was an urgent need to define the position of the company, its operation, management and mandate in order to halt the seeming corruption.
The Senate in its resolution mandated its committees on public accounts and gas to carry out a ‘holistic investigation into the activities of the Brass LNG and the complicity therein as well as the level of corruption that has taken place, and report back within four weeks.’
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Abubakar Danburam Nuhu has indicted the Federal Government for poor ownership and implementation of the TSA policy, even though it is frequently highlighted by the Presidency as one of its greatest achievements.
He said that the TSA lacks a coordinated office in charge of its implementation and monitoring.
“Issues are being raised by so many people and they do not have answers to them. Who should be responsible for implementation and monitoring?” he asks.
Nuhu, therefore, called for the establishment of a TSA agency to be headed by a director.
He made this point, yesterday, as a guest on Channels Television Business Morning Show, where he was joined by an Economic Analyst from Proshare Nigeria, Babalola Tope, to discuss some of the unfinished businesses surrounding the TSA policy.
The lawmaker said although TSA has been of great benefit to the government, curtailing corruption, blocking leakages and cutting off arbitrary charges previously collected by commercial banks, “The unfortunate thing with the TSA is that there are so many issues that are lingering and affecting the smooth implementation of the account.
“My committee has been doing a lot of work in terms of trying to investigate the TSA for quite some time now but the challenges that are there need to be resolved.”
Stating some of the challenges, he said “For the last two years, the TSA has not been audited and when we called the Auditor General (AuGF), it seems that he has not been part of the TSA implementation. He had to confess to us that there hasn’t been any audit in the last two years.
“Also, there has been no reconciliation between the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”
Nuhu also revealed that the foreign currency component of the TSA has yet to be activated for unknown reasons.
“Therefore no one knows exactly how Federal Government funds collected in the Diaspora are administered.
“This means all accounts which are foreign denominated are not yet part of the TSA. They are still sitting in banks, which are probably out of the country or even in Nigeria,” he emphasised.
As at March, 2017, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, had revealed that the TSA has processed over N7trillion.
It was also revealed that over 20,000 commercial bank accounts where government revenue where previously stashed had been closed, saving the government about N4.7billion monthly in bank charges.
Although the TSA policy was partially implemented during the Dr Goodluck Jonathan era, the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari holds it up as its biggest economic reform strategy.
However, details emerging clearly show that the policy faces serious risks bothering on non-compliance by some agencies and failure to consolidate the policy – giving it a proper legislative backing such that its sustainability beyond the current administration is guaranteed.
Also, it was revealed that the service providers who are responsible for facilitating payments into the Treasury Single Account are being owed by the government.
My-ACE China, known as the Mayor of Housing, has won the 2024 Man of the Year. The award was announced by board of trustees of the DMOMA Awards Academy in Port Harcourt at the week.
The organisers also declared his company, the Construction and Housing Mayor Limited as the brand promoter of the year, the third in a row.
The award ceremony which was held at the Arena Event centre in the GRA area of Port Harcourt was attended by several dignitaries in the society.
The organisers led by Dr. Ezebunwo Nyeche (chairman) and Stephen Chidiebere Okoye (Awards organizer) said in a statement that China was picked for his support and impact to small and medium enterprises in Rivers State, his media footsteps and his consistent propagation and promotion of Rivers State.
They noted that China won over 10 prestigious awards in 2024 alone on his track to promote Port Harcourt as a brand destination and Rivers as a peaceful state.
Handing the award to China, the organisers said the Mayor of Housing always comes to the rescue of events that aim to promote Rivers State, saying the DMOMA Awards would be held in two more cities in 2025.
Responding, Mr China said there is need for more sponsorship of talents in Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta, saying what they lacked was support.
“There is more talent in Port Harcourt but there is more support in Lagos to artistes than in Port Harcourt. So, the top talents in Port Harcourt work 10 times harder than those in Lagos to attract sponsorship.”
He also said Nigeria has a treasure base which is Port Harcourt but that the treasure is not oil and gas but talents. He said he was highly elated to win the of Man of the Year Award with his firm winning brand of the year.
In an interview, My-ACE China said he was particularly impressed with the diligence demonstrated by the organisers and the processes they used to pick winners every year.
He also said the victory showed attention paid by the organisers to unveil the personality behind the corporate masquerade, not just focusing on the company. “It actually reaffirms one of my quotes that a brand can only grow as big as the character of the visioner behind it.”
On his plans to help Port Harcourt compete with Lagos, China said 2025 will meet him doing things with the youths of Rivers State to push the Port Harcourt brand in the social media and rally the traditional press to create a positive narrative of Rivers State beyond violence and political negativity.
“The Garden City has not been enjoying the best of media perception for some years now but this is the first time we have a governor committed to non-political bias in doing his work. He does not consider whether you are a member of his party or not before doing what is right. For the first time, we have a true father of the state to all, and he has been diligently following the blueprint that stakeholders developed at the last Rivers Economic and Investment Summit, making sure he is doing it without political cronyism.”
He said his company would be building the biggest estate and the best, the ‘Alesa Sustainable Smart City, to move from brand perception to brand experience so as to move Rivers State to the next level.
He appealed to entrepreneurs not to be carried away by the old perception but to join the new way. “Position yourself because there is going to be a boom. People are rushing into Port Harcourt and new entrants may take the ground. Think expansion not contraction, think investment not divestment. Else, you miss it.”
To fellow estate investors, he admonished them to gear up for regulation. “It is no longer going to be business as usual especially for land peddling and land grabbing. Try to grow up because tangible development is going to take over.
“It is no longer going to be who sells the most land but who develops the most houses. The housing deficit in the land requires effective land development strategies. Any serious land seller should grow into a housing developer because developments are going to be coming into Rivers State and a lot of people are coming into the state.”
He said those that have grown to be developers will be many times richer than those that are just starting or are mere land sellers and peddlers. People should also position themselves because all the foreign investments and local ones will take advantage of this influx.
“The value of influx is coming, so prepare and take advantage. Be one of those that are big enough to take advantage. Remaining small will not be good but grow big in your products, in your services, because the market is going to grow big.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed shock and sadness over the death of a former military governor of the State, Major-General Godwin Osagie Abbe (rtd).
Late Abbe, who hails from Edo State, was military governor of Rivers State between August, 1990 and January, 1992.
Governor Fubara described late Gen Abbe as one leader who dedicated himself to the service and wellbeing of Rivers people and humanity during his administration in the State, saying that the death of the distinguished military officer, politician and administrator was a very huge loss to the State, the Niger Delta, and indeed, the entire country, having traversed the length and breath of the nation in the cause of his military and political careers.
“On behalf of my family, the Government and good people of Rivers State, I condole with the family of the Abbes, the Edo people, and the Nigerian military on the demise of this colossus, whose contributions to the unity, peace and development of the nation are legendary.
“While we mourn his painful exit at this difficult time, we pray for the eternal repose of his soul, and urge the family to take solace in the fact that late Gen Abbe lived a fulfilled life in the service of his fatherland.”
Wife of Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has noted with delight that Rivers children are well behaved, and has admonished them to remain supportive of their parents while striving always to make a difference wherever they find themselves.
Lady Fubara gave the counsel at the 2024 Christmas Children Party, attended by children from the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, including non-indigenes, at Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The Christmas Children Party also witnessed the presence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who stopped over to share moments with them, walking from one canopy to another, waving at them, and at other times, shaking hands with them to leave lasting memories on them.
The Rivers First Lady pointed to the importance of the celebration of Christmas, which draws attention to the birth of Jesus Christ, demanding that people have a deep reflection of the love that is demonstrated and mission of the birth, which is to redeem mankind.
Lady Fubara recalled how she took out time to visit the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, where she appreciated God for safe delivery of children born on Christmas day while felicitating with the nursing mothers.
She also stated the valuable time spent with motherless babies when she visited the Port Harcourt Children’s Home in Borikiri, old Port Harcourt Township, and celebrated their meekness, innocence and the beauty they bring to the world.
She said, “Even today, as we continue the celebration, efforts were made to extend invitation to our children in all the 23 local government areas of our State. In doing this, children from all classes of society, including the physically challenged, have been offered the opportunity to sit together as brothers and sisters, play, eat and dance.
“Whilst contemplating the uniqueness of celebrating Christmas on a Boxing Day, steps were equally taken to provide gifts for the children who are there, and also to pray for them, a qualitative fun session that will last in their memories.”
Lady Fubara advised all children in the State to remember that Jesus came into the world to make a difference, advising that they must emulate him so that they can positively impact their families and society.
She urged them to pray fervently to God to bless and prosper their mothers, daddies, aunties and uncles to better cater to their needs.
She added, “Be humble, obedient and supportive at home. Do household chores, and don’t forget to make excellent grades in school next academic session. Children are the joy of every home, and we are glad to have beautiful, well-behaved children in Rivers State.
“Thank you all for witnessing this 2024 Children’s Party, and I pray God Almighty to protect, shield and keep you safe from all negative companies in the name of Jesus. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2025. God bless you all,” she said.
Lady Fubara expressed appreciation to her husband and Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for his absolute commitment to the growth of children, and the immeasurable support that ensured that Christmas Children Party was a success.
There were performances by Virtue Dancers, Kalabari Iria dancers, Wonder Time Children of Opobo Kingdom, Children of Rivers State Council of Arts and Culture, Diseye the Poet and DJ Arnold.